Sermon Tone Analysis

! INTRODUCTION                       

Last week we seen a few marks that Paul had in his life, and these marks are marks that I want in my life everyday and I pray that you would as well.

PAUL HAD THE MARK OF:

—    A thankful heart – (v.3)

—    Prayer – (v.4)

—    Joy – (v.4)

—    Fellowship – (v.5)

—    Confidence in God’s salvation – (v.6)

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Today we are going to look at the last three marks in this section in which Paul had.

—    The mark of partnership (v.7-8)

—    The mark of a growing and discerning love (v.9-10)

—    The mark of righteousness (v.11)

 

A.

The Mark of Partnership /v.7-8/

1.

They Were Partners In Heart – /“//because I have you in my heart”/

—       THE PHILIPPIANS WERE IN PAUL’S HEART.

Because their loyalty to God’s cause, Paul could not help but to say “it is only right for me to think this of you all.”(Luke

10:27) Paul loved them as much as he loved himself

/ /

2.     They Were Partners In Suffering – /“in my chains”/

—       THEY SYMPATHIZED WITH PAUL, SENT HOPE, & WERE SUFFERING FOR THE GOSPEL

—       THEIR HEARTS WENT OUT TO EACH OTHER, WHAT ONE EXPERIENCED THE OTHER FELT Saul, Saul why are you persecuting Me (Acts 9:4)

—       WHEN WE ARE PARTNERS IN SUFFERING, THEN AND ONLY THEN CAN WE TRULY BEAR ONE ONOTHERS BURNENS

Blessed /be/ the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

(2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NKJV)

—       OUR LORD UNDERSTANDS WHAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH

Therefore, in all things He had to be made like /His/ brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things /pertaining/ to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

(Hebrews 2:17-18 NKJV)

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all /points/ tempted as /we are, yet/ without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

(Hebrews 4:15-16 NKJV)

/ /

3.     They Were Partners In The Gospel – /“in the defense and conformation of the gospel”/

—       THEY TOOK THE GREAT COMMISSION OF OUR LORD SERIOUSLY

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,   "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, /even/ to the end of the age."

Amen.

(Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV)

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

(Acts 1:8 NKJV)

—       THEY WERE ACTIVELY DEFENDING THE GOSPEL ENGAGED IN THE SAME CONFLICT

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear /is/ in me.

(Philippians 1:29-30 NKJV)

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, (2 Timothy 1:8 NKJV)

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always /be/ ready to /give/ a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; (1 Peter 3:15 NKJV)

/ /

4.     They Were Partners In The Grace of God – /“you all are partakers with me of grace”/

—       THE PHILIPPIANS HAD GIVEN PROOF THAT THEY BELONG TO THE FELLOWSHIP 1:5

—       THAT IS THE OPERATION OF GOD’S GRACE WICH ENABLES ONE TO WORK IN THE INTEREST OF THE GOSPEL, TO SUFFER FOR IT AND TO ASSIST THOSE WHO PROCLAIM AND DEFEND IT.

/ /

5.

They Were Partners With Christ – /“greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ”/

—       PAUL LONGS FOR THEM WITH THE VERY AFFECTION OF JESUS CHRIST

!!  

!! APPLICATION – Philippians 1:8

“how greatly I long for”                  to long for, desire,  to pursue with love, to long after

 

“with the affection /bowels/”              bowels, intestines, (the heart, lungs, liver, etc.)

—       The bowels were regarded as the seat of the more violent passions, such as anger and love; but by the Hebrews as the seat of the tenderer affections, esp.

kindness, benevolence, compassion; hence our heart (tender mercies, affections, etc.)

—       The word literally refers to the internal organs, which are the part of the body that reacts to intense emotion.

It became the strongest Gr. word to express compassionate love—love that involves one’s entire being.

—       PAUL’S LOVE PATTERNED AFTER PHILIPPIANS 2:5 &

—       ENERGIZED BY CHRIST’S INDWELLING LOVE GALATIANS 2:20 – I have been crucified . .

.Christ lives in me.

ILLUSTRATION – The average person thinks that everything he does is because he has thought it over and that he is very smart.

Psychologist have said that the brain is really a very marvelous telephone exchange.

A message comes up through the sensory nervous system, up through the synaptical connections from the hand to the brain.

Immediately there is a transfer made over to a motor neuron, and the message goes down over a different set of synaptical connections.

—    When you touch a hot stove, immediately the message goes up to the brain, and the brain returns the message and say, “Take your finger off that – you’ll get burned.”

You do it without thinking, but there was a connection made in the brain.

—    When I first saw my Kristi, where do you think it took place?

Was it in the brain?

No, I saw her with my eyes, but I really felt a deep affection for her inside

*1.      **Can you think of any practical ways in which you can love others /“with the affection of Jesus Christ”/ (1:8).*

1)      I can help my wife around the house

2)      Do laundry because her hands hurt to do it

3)      Giving other the gospel of Jesus Christ – and not only the gospel but also our own lives as Paul wrote to the 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12

4)      If someone is in need I must help them “But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?  1 John 3:17

5)      Put on “tender mercies,” “kindness,” “humility,” “meekness,” “longsuffering,” etc.

/ /

B.   The Mark Of A Growing And Discerning Love /v.9-10/

1)      Gratitude for the Philippians’ partnership leads Paul to the prayer of 1:9-11.

What does Paul ask God for?

!!! Verse 9 – NLT – “that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding.”

!!! Verse 10 – NLT – “for I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns

Verse 11 – /NKJV -- “the fruit righteousness produces”/

NLT – “may you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation – those good things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much praise and glory to God.”

Verse 11 – for the ultimate goal of “God’s glory and praise.”

2)      Why is it important that our /love abound/ in /knowledge/ and /all discernment/ (Verse 9)?

 

Love abound cf.

(1 Thessalonians 3:12)

1 John 4:7-8   1) The Bible tells us to v.7

            2) For love is of God v.7

            3) Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God

            4) If you do not love, this shows you really don’t know God

            5) For God is love

 

1 John 3:14 – /love is the evidence of salvation/

Christian love is not something we work up; it is something that God does in us and through us (2:12-13).

Remember Paul longed for his friends “in the bowels of Jesus Christ” it was not Paul’s love channeled through Christ, it was Christ’s love channeled through Paul.

Remember that “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

When we permit (cooperate with) God to perform His “good work” in us, then we grow in our love for one another even those who are difficult to love.

Some of our friends are even difficult to love 

John 13:34-35 – /Jesus commanded His disciples to love one another/

!!!! Another evidence of Christian love is a willingness to forgive on another

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HOW CAN WE TELL THAT WE ARE TRULY BOUND IN LOVE TO OTHER CHRISTIANS?

—    When we are concerned about them.

—    The believers at Philippi were concerned about Paul and sent Epaphroditus to minister to him.